Taking Responsibility

Sechar V'Onesh – Reward and Punishment

We learned in the two Morasha classes on free will that this principle
lies at the foundation of Judaism. When God created man He granted
him the ability to freely choose between good and evil, truth and
falsehood, right and wrong. In this class, we will discuss the most basic
corollary of free will: taking responsibility.

Taking responsibility extends beyond ourselves to incorporate our

families, our nation, humanity, and the entire universe, applying to
both the physical and spiritual realms.

Accountability for our decisions is the natural outgrowth of taking

responsibility. The system of reward and punishment serves as a
powerful reminder of the consequences of the responsibility we have
to use our free will in the correct way.

This class will examine the following ideas:

What responsibilities do we, as Jews, have to the world?

• What responsibilities do we, as Jews, have to one
another?
• How does Judaism view someone who shirks his
responsibilities?
• Are we accountable for our actions?
• Does a Jewish leader have more responsibility than
ordinary people?
• How does the system of reward and punishment help us
to live up to our potential?

Class Outline
Section I: Responsibility for the Physical World
Section II: Responsibility for the Spiritual World
Section III: Irresponsibility of the Wicked
Section IV: Responsibility of Israel for One Another
Section V: Special Responsibility of Leaders
Section VI: Reward and Punishment
2
Section I: Responsibility for the Physical World
Judaism teaches us to assume responsibility for our selves, our
families, our environment, and our future. Although, as we will see
later, this responsibility extends to embrace spiritual concepts, it
remains true on a simple physical plane.

1. Shemot (Exodus) 20:13 – Basic principles of responsibility

You shall not kill; you shall not ‫ לא תענה ברעך עד‬.‫ לא תגנוב‬.‫ לא תנאף‬.‫לא תרצח‬
commit adultery; you shall not .‫שקר‬
steal; you shall not bear false
witness against your fellow.

2. Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) Rabbah 7:19 – Responsibility for the

environment
“Observe God’s doing! For who ‫בשעה שברא הקב"ה את אדם הראשון נטלו‬
can straighten what He has ‫והחזירו על כל אילני גן עדן ואמר לו ראה מעשי‬
twisted?” When God created ‫כמה נאים ומשובחין הן וכל מה שבראתי בשבילך‬
Adam, He took him and showed .‫בראתי תן דעתך שלא תקלקל ותחריב את עולמי‬
him all the trees of the Garden of
Eden. He told him: “Behold how
pleasant and beautiful and
excellent are My deeds – and all
that I have created, I have
created for you. Beware, that
you should not ruin and destroy
My world.”

3. Devarim (Deuteronomy) 20:19 – Preserving the trees

When you besiege a city for ‫כי תצור אל עיר ימים רבים להלחם עליה לתפשה‬
many days to wage war against ‫לא תשחית את עצה לנדח עליו גרזן כי ממנו תאכל‬
it to seize it, do not destroy its ...‫ואתו לא תכרת‬
trees by swinging an axe against
them, for from it you will eat,
and you shall not cut it down.

4. Sefer HaChinuch 529 – The virtuous do not waste anything

The way of the virtuous and the ‫וזהו דרך החסידים ואנשי מעשה אוהבים שלום‬
righteous is to love peace, to ‫ ולא‬,‫ושמחים בטוב הבריות ומקרבים אותן לתורה‬
rejoice in the well-being of ‫ ויצר עליהם‬,‫יאבדו אפילו גרגר של חרדל בעולם‬
others, and to draw them closer ‫ ואם יוכלו להציל יצילו‬,‫בכל אבדון והשחתה שיראו‬
to Torah. Furthermore, they will ,‫כל דבר מהשחית בכל כחם‬
not waste even a single grain of
mustard, and will be distressed

3
by every loss and destruction
that they see, and whenever
possible will do their utmost to
save whatever they can from
being destroyed.

5. Talmud Bavli (Babylonian Talmud), Shabbat 140b – Preserving

one’s self takes priority
Rav Papa taught, “Someone who ‫ואמר רב פפא האי מאן דאפשר למישתי שיכרא‬
is able to drink beer, yet drinks ‫ושתי חמרא עובר משום בל תשחית ולאו מילתא‬
wine, transgresses the ‫היא בל תשחית דגופא‬
prohibition of ‘You shall not
cause unnecessary waste [ba’al
tashchit].’” But this is not
correct, since preserving one’s
physical state takes precedence.

[I.e., one should not seek

environmental economy –
drinking cheap beer rather than
expensive wine – at the expense
of one’s physical health.
Otherwise, however, one must
seek the greatest economy vis-à-
vis the environment.]

6. Shemot 21:10 – Responsibility for one’s wife.

He may not diminish her [his ‫שארה כסותה ועונתה לא יגרע‬
wife’s] food, her clothing, or
marital relationships.

7. Talmud Bavli, Chulin 91a – Responsibility for one’s property.

“Yaakov (Jacob) remained ‫ויותר יעקב לבדו אמר רבי אלעזר שנשתייר על‬
alone.” Rabbi Elazar taught that ‫פכין קטנים‬.
he remained in order to retrieve
small vessels [that had been left
behind].

8. Midrash Tanchuma, Kedoshim 7 – Responsibility for the

future.
God told Israel, “Even though ‫אמר להם הקב"ה לישראל אע"פ שתמצאו אותה‬
you find [the Land] full of ‫מליאה כל טוב לא תאמרו נשב ולא נטע אלא הוו‬

4
goodness, do not say, ‘We will ‫זהירין בנטיעות שנאמר ונטעתם כל עץ מאכל כשם‬
dwell and will not plant,’ rather, ‫שנכנסתם ומצאתם נטיעות שנטעו אחרים אף אתם‬
be diligent to plant, as it is ... ‫היו נוטעים לבניכם מעשה באנדרינוס המלך‬
written, ‘You shall plant all fruit ‫ אמר‬,‫ומצא זקן אחד שהיה נוטע נטיעה של תאנים‬
trees.’ Just as you entered, and ‫ אמר‬,‫לו אנדרינוס אתה זקן וטורח ומתיגע לאחרים‬
found the Land full of vegetation ‫לו אדוני המלך הריני נוטע אם אזכה ואחיה אוכל‬
that others planted, so you ‫מפירות נטיעתי ואם לאו יאכלו בני‬.
should plant for your children’s
sake …” It is told of King
Adrianus … that he saw an
elderly man planting a fig tree.
The king asked him, “You are
old, why are you toiling for
others?” The man answered him,
“My Lord the King, I am planting
– if I will merit it, I will live and
eat the fruit; and if not, my sons
will eat them.”

Section II: Responsibility for the Spiritual World

In addition to the responsibility that man bears for his own physical
wellbeing and that of his surroundings, he is commanded to ensure the
spiritual wellbeing of the world. On the simplest level, this is achieved
through the learning and dissemination of Torah so that man knows
the instructions by which he is supposed to live.

The world was created in a way that left it flawed, and man has the
opportunity and responsibility to rectify it and bring it to its completed
form. The performance of mitzvot helps to achieve this, while sin
distances us from this goal. We have been given free will to enable us
to fulfill our responsibility to build the world’s spiritual core.

1. Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 245 – Responsibility for

spiritual well-being of oneself and one’s family.
It is a positive commandment to ‫מצות עשה על האיש ללמד את בנו תורה ואם לא‬
teach one’s child Torah; if a .‫למדו אביו חייב ללמד לעצמו‬
person’s father did not teach
him, he must teach himself.

2. Talmud Bavli, Kiddushin 40b – Spiritual responsibility for the

world
A person should always regard ‫לעולם יראה אדם עצמו כאילו חציו חייב וחציו‬
himself as though he were ‫זכאי עשה מצוה אחת אשריו שהכריע עצמו לכף‬

5
exactly balanced between merit ‫זכות עבר עבירה אחת אוי לו שהכריע את עצמו‬
and guilt – if he does one good ‫ לפי שהעולם נידון אחר רובו והיחיד‬... ‫לכף חובה‬
deed, he tips the scales to the ‫נידון אחר רובו עשה מצוה אחת אשריו שהכריע‬
side of merit; if he performs one ‫את עצמו ואת כל העולם לכף זכות עבר עבירה‬
sin he tips the scales to the side ‫אחת אוי לו שהכריע את עצמו ואת כל העולם לכף‬
of guilt … Because the world is .‫חובה‬
judged according to the majority
[of its citizens] and the individual
is judged according to the
majority [of his deeds], if a
person does one good deed,
fortunate is he, for he has
determined that both he and the
entire world will be judged to be
meritorious; and if he performs
one sin, woe unto him, for he has
determined that both he and the
entire world will be judged to be
guilty.

3. Talmud Bavli, Pesachim 68b – The Torah grants continued

existence to the world
Without the Torah, the heavens ‫אילמלא תורה לא נתקיימו שמים וארץ שנאמר אם‬
and the earth would not exist, as .‫לא בריתי יומם ולילה חקות שמים וארץ לא שמתי‬
it is written, “If My covenant with
the night and with the day would
not be; had I not set up the laws
of heaven and earth.”

4. Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, Nefesh HaChaim 1:3 –

Responsibility for higher worlds
God created man, and appointed ‫ברא הוא יתב' את האדם והשליטו על רבי רבוון‬
him to rule over myriad powers ‫ ומסרם בידו שיהא הוא‬.‫כחות ועולמות אין מספר‬
and countless spiritual worlds. ‫המדבר והמנהיג אותם עפ"י כל פרטי תנועות‬
He entrusted them to man, that ‫ הן‬.‫ וכל סדרי הנהגותיו‬.‫מעשיו ודבוריו ומחשבותיו‬
he should lead and direct them ‫ כי במעשיו ודבוריו‬.‫ או להיפך ח"ו‬.‫לטוב‬
by means of his deeds, words, ‫ומחשבותיו הטובי' הוא מקיים ונותן כח בכמה כחות‬
and thoughts, and by all of his ‫ ומוסיף בהם קדושה‬.‫ועולמות עליונים הקדושים‬
actions, whether good or bad. ‫ואור‬.
For through man’s positive
deeds, words and thoughts, he
strengthens the spiritual power
of elevated holy worlds, and
gives them sanctity and spiritual

6
light.

Section III: Irresponsibility of the Wicked

In contrast to the responsibility that the righteous take upon
themselves, the wicked shirk all responsibility off their shoulders. To
the great detriment of humanity, the world, and – ultimately – their
own selves, they think only of their own worldly pleasure and gain. God
does not allow the world to be destroyed by the evil of the wicked – He
will not bring another Great Flood – yet, the wicked will pay the penalty
for their deeds.
1. Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 22:23 – The attitude of the irresponsible
man.
Eat and drink, for tomorrow we .‫אכל ושתה כי מחר נמות‬
will die.

2. Talmud Bavli, Avodah Zarah 54b – The enduring world

The world continues to function ‫עולם כמנהגו נוהג ושוטים שקלקלו עתידין ליתן את‬
in its normal manner; the .‫הדין‬
wicked, who caused ruin, are
destined to give judgment in the
future.

3. Sefer HaChinuch 529 – The consequence of evil

Not so the wicked, brothers of ‫ולא כן הרשעים אחיהם של מזיקין שמחים‬
destruction, who are content ‫ במדה שאדם מודד‬,‫בהשחתת עולם והמה משחיתים‬
with the demise of the world. .‫בה מודדין לו‬
They destroy themselves: “A
person is dealt with in the same
manner that he acts.”

4. Bereishit (Genesis) Rabbah 33:1 – Good is stronger than evil.

Just as these mountains are
sown and give rise to fruit, so the
deeds of the righteous bear fruit,
as it is written, “Tell the
righteous that it is good, for they
shall eat the fruit of their deeds”
(Yeshayahu 3:10). And just as
this chasm has no bottom, so the
suffering of the wicked is
bottomless, as it is written, “But
‫ומה הרים הללו נזרעים ועושים פירות כך מעשיהם‬
‫של צדיקים עושים פירות הה"ד )ישעיה ג( אמרו‬
‫צדיק כי טוב וגו' ומה תהום זה אין לו חקר כך אין‬
‫לפורענותן של רשעים חקר הה"ד )שם( אוי לרשע‬
‫רע ומה התהום הזה לא נזרע ולא עושה פירות כך‬
‫אין מעשיהן של רשעים עושין פירות שאילו היו‬
.‫עושין פירות היו מחריבין את העולם‬

7
woe to the wicked who does evil,
for the recompense of his hands
will be dealt to him” (Ibid. 11).
Just as this chasm is not sown,
and does not bear fruit, so the
deeds of the wicked do not bear
fruit – for if they would do so,
they would destroy the world.

Section IV: Responsibility of Israel for One Another

A special unity binds together the members of the Jewish nation. At
Mount Sinai, when the nation gathered to receive the Torah, the people
are described as being “As one man, with one heart.” This unity, in
which every individual of the nation is considered to be an individual
limb of a single body, obligates us with a special responsibility: To care
for our fellow, just as we care for our own selves.
The most basic expressions of this responsibility are the acts of charity
and kindness that we are commanded to perform. On a deeper level,
our fellow’s spiritual concern must be our own concern – another’s sin
should be as disturbing and distressing to us as our own, and we must
seek to rectify it, in whatever way possible. One who does not
appreciate this special responsibility, neglects a fundamental principle
of the Torah.

1. Talmud Bavli, Shavuot 39a – Communal responsibility

All Jews are responsible for one .‫כל ישראל ערבים זה לזה‬
another.

2. Bereishit Rabbah 24:7 – Love your neighbor

Rabbi Akiva taught: “Love your ‫ זה כלל גדול‬,‫ ואהבת לרעך כמוך‬,‫אמר רבי עקיבא‬
neighbor as yourself.” This is a ‫בתורה‬
great principle of the Torah.

3. Rambam (Maimonides), Book of Mitzvot, Mitzvat Asei 205 –

Caring about others
This is the commandment to ‫היא שצונו להוכיח החוטא או מי שירצה לחטוא‬
rebuke someone who sins, or is ‫ולמנוע אותו ממנו במאמר ותוכחה ואין ראוי לנו‬
about to sin, and prevent him ‫שיאמר אחד ממנו אני לא אחטא ואם יחטא זולתי‬
from doing so with words and .‫להיו זה הפך התורה‬-‫מה לי דינו עם א‬
reproof. And one should not say,
“I myself will not sin, so if
someone else does, why should I

8
care what judgment he will
receive from God?” for this is the
diametric opposite of the Torah.

4. Vayikra (Leviticus) Rabbah 5:6 – The nation of Israel is like

one body
“Israel is a scattered sheep” ‫שה פזורה ישראל נמשלו ישראל לשה מה שה הזה‬
(Yeshayahu 50). Israel is ‫לוקה על ראשו או בא' מאבריו וכל אבריו מרגישין‬
compared to a sheep. Just as .‫כך הן ישראל אחד מהן חוטא וכולן מרגישין‬
when one of the limbs of a sheep
is hurt all of its limbs feel the
pain, so too when one individual
within Israel sins, all of the
Jewish people feel it.
Section V: Special Responsibility of Leaders
The greater the level reached by a particular individual, the greater is
his range of responsibility. Whereas an ordinary person has little direct
influence over the entire nation, a king (or any other head of state) has
obvious influence over all of his subjects, and his responsibility is
therefore much greater.
From a Torah perspective, the leaders of the generation are its spiritual
leaders, i.e. the Torah scholars, whose rulings are followed by the
people. The greater the responsibility of a particular individual, the
greater the Divine assistance he receives in order to meet the
challenge of his responsibility.
1. Talmud Bavli, Mo’ed Katan 6a – Extended responsibility of
the Torah scholar
A Torah scholar who lives in the ‫צורבא מרבנן דאיכא במתא כל מילי דמתא עליה‬
town – all matters pertaining to ‫רמיא‬
the town are placed upon his
shoulders.

2. Ibid., 5a – Responsibility of the city elders for a case of

murder
The elders of that town [in which
a murdered person was found]
wash their hand with water in
the place in which the calf is
killed and declare: “Our hands
did not spill this blood, and our
eyes did not see.” Would we
think that the elders of the Beth
‫זקני אותה העיר רוחצין את ידיהן במים במקום‬
‫עריפה של עגלה ואומרים ידינו לא שפכה את הדם‬
‫הזה ועינינו לא ראו וכי על דעתינו עלתה שזקני‬
‫ב"ד שופכי דמים הן אלא שלא בא על ידינו‬
‫ופטרנוהו )בלא מזון( ולא ראינוהו והנחנוהו )בלא‬
.(‫לויה‬

9
Din are killers? Rather, [by
saying this they mean] that he
did not come to them (for food)
and they rejected him, nor did
they see him and just leave him
(without an escort).

3. Avodat Hakodesh 3:4 – Jewish leaders were shepherds

“Moshe (Moses) and David, of ‫ כבר אמרו בואלה שמות רבה‬,‫ומשה ודוד ע"ה‬
blessed memory.” The Midrash .'‫ בדק לדוד בצאן ומצאו רועה יפה וכו‬,'‫פרשה ב‬
relates that David was tested ‫ והכל‬.'‫ לא בחנו הקב"ה אלא בצאן וכו‬,‫ואף משה‬
with sheep to see if he was ...‫לתכלית רעית ישראל צאן מרעיתו‬
suitable [to be a leader], and
[God] found him to be a worthy
shepherd. And God also tested
Moshe with sheep. This was to
see whether they were able to
shepherd Israel, God’s sheep …

4. Mishlei (Proverbs) 21:1 – The heart of kings

Like streams of water is the ‫פלגי מים לב מלך ביד ה' על כל אשר יחפץ יטנן‬
heart of a king in the hand of
God, wherever He wishes, so He
directs it.

Section VI: Reward and Punishment

As mentioned in the Overview, accountability is a simple consequence
of responsibility: Above every position of responsibility looms the
reality of accountability. Fittingly, as responsibility grows, so does
accountability. God is more exacting with individuals who have greater
responsibility than with those who have less.
All governments and social orders have systems of reward and
punishment that help preserve the principles of justice and motivate
people to uphold the ideals that the society values. According to the
Torah, however, the concept of reward and punishment extends far
beyond the idea of deterrents and incentives. Choosing good earns one
eternal reward, whereas evil is punished – not as a punishment per se,
but in order to cleanse the evildoer of his iniquity. This system ensures
that man will benefit in the next, eternal, world, by receiving reward
for his good deeds, and retribution/cleansing for his wrong-doings.
On a still deeper level, reward and punishment are a direct
consequence of the deed itself. In a spiritual sense, every good deed
makes a real, positive impact on the world, which itself is the reward

10
for the deed, as the Talmud states, “The reward for a mitzvah is a
mitzvah.”
1. Rambam, The Thirteen Principles of Faith, Principle 11 –
Reward and punishment
I believe, with complete faith, ‫ שהבורא יתברך שמו‬.‫אני מאמין באמונה שלמה‬
that the Creator, blessed is His :‫גומל טוב לשומרי מצותיו ומעניש לעוברי מצותיו‬
Name, rewards those who
observe His commandments, and
punishes those who violate His
commandments.

2. Talmud Bavli, Bava Kama 50a – God overlooks nothing

Anyone who says that God ‫ יוותרו חייו‬,‫כל האומר הקב"ה ותרן‬
overlooks, his life is overlooked.

3. Talmud Bavli, Kiddushin 39b – Reward is reserved for the

World to Come
There is no reward for mitzvot in ‫שכר מצוות בהאי עלמא ליכא‬
this world. [It is reserved for the
eternal World to Come.]

4. Mishnah, Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) 5:22 – The more

we input, the more we receive
The reward is proportional to the ‫לפום צערא אגרא‬
difficulty [of performing the
mitzvah].

5. Talmud Bavli, Yevamot 121b – God is more exacting with

those who are closer
God is exacting with those close ‫הקב"ה מדקדק עם סביביו כחוט השערה‬
to Him to the degree of a
hairsbreadth.

6. Ramchal(Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto), Adir Bamarom –

Punishment in the Afterlife is a natural consequence of sin
The purity of the soul is achieved ‫טהרת הנשמה היא או על ידי גיהנם או על ידי‬
either through Gehinnom, or by ‫ ונמצא‬,‫ והוא כי כל זינא אזיל לזיניה‬.‫תשובה‬
means of repentance. This is ‫שצריכה הנשמה לרדת בגיהנם עד שהזוהמא תפרד‬
because each type of thing is .‫ממנה ותדבק בשורשה‬
attracted to its own kind.

11
Therefore, the soul needs to
descend into Gehinnom, so that
the filth of evil should depart
from it, and it is then able to
cling to its [holy] source.

7. Ramchal, Kinat Hashem Tzevakot – The mitzvah and its

reward are one and the same
From the depth of His wisdom, ‫ אשר‬,‫מעומק עצת החכמה היה לעשות דבר נפלא‬
God enacted a true wonder, by ‫ וזולתו לא‬,‫יוודע כי המעשה מעשה אלקים הוא‬
which it will be known that it is a ‫ השכר‬,‫ המצוה‬,‫ הבריאה‬,‫יוכל עשיהו כלל לעשות‬
Divine deed, which no other ‫ אשר לא ימצא זה‬,‫ הכל ענין אחד הוא‬- ‫והעונש‬
could perform: The world, the ‫ שלא המציא הממציא רק‬,‫ עד שנמצא‬... ‫בלא זה‬
mitzvah, and reward and ‫ כי ממשפט‬,‫ ולא מציאויות רבות‬,‫מציאות אחת‬
punishment – all are one, unified ‫החכמה להתרחק מן הריבוי אם אינו מוכרח‬.
matter, indivisible from one
another … Thus, it emerges that
the Creator created these as a
single unified entity, and not as
several distinct entities, because
it is the hallmark of wisdom to
refrain from multiplicity
wherever possible.

12